


Keep Your Head Up

by lancelitttle (lancelot2point0)



Category: BBC Merlin, Merlin (TV), Merlin - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Family Bonding, Friendship, Gen, It's found family time fam, Male-Female Friendship, gwen is stressed, lancelot is sweet af, this was fun to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29605152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lancelot2point0/pseuds/lancelitttle
Summary: Gwen sighed, “This is a big change, really big, and it’s terrifying.”“Which you’re more than capable of handling on your own, not to mention with everyone who cares about you.”Gwen is worried about what will happen after she marries Arthur, Lancelot is surprisingly insightful.
Relationships: Gwen & Lancelot (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13
Collections: Merlin Bingo





	Keep Your Head Up

**Author's Note:**

> Fourth Bingo Fill (I3 - Bonding)  
> And as seems to be the trend, [Propmt list](https://wishiwasanavenger-archive.tumblr.com/post/190047246564/prompt-list) fill (Fluff no. 15 “I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re beautiful.”)

Arthur and Guinevere’s wedding had been the talk of not only Camelot, but the surrounding regions as well for well over a month now, and for good reason. It was rumoured by the nobility to be the biggest wedding in well over three decades, maybe even the wedding of the century. It was known by the castle servants that it was to be the grandest wedding to have ever graced Camelot’s castle.

Gwen had been busy for months on end making preparations for the day and learning everything that she would need to be able to fulfil the duties of the Queen of Camelot. The enormity of the change that was to take place had not sunk in during that time, but now, staring at the deep red dress hanging before her, the realisation settled on her with a weight akin to that of the crown she would receive today.

Edda, her maid now, was nowhere to be seen and Gwen was immensely grateful for that as her knees gave way and she sank to the floor. The carpet beneath her, soft and yielding, unlike the cold stone she was accustomed to feeling in the castle, felt foreign and suffocating and the tears that fell silently from her eyes disappeared into the tightly woven fibres of the carpet.

“I’m sorr - Gwen?”

Gwen started, turning towards the now open door where Lancelot stood somewhat uncertainly.

“Sorry, I didn’t realise anyone was in here,” Lancelot took a step forward, “I did knock.”

“Yes, no, it’s alright, Lancelot,” Gwen tried to muster a convincing smile, but from the concerned look that Lancelot was giving her, she knew it was not working.

“Gwen,” Lancelot’s face scrunched up for a moment, “Stupid question, but are you alright?”

“I - yes,” she shook her head, “no? I don’t know.” Gwen let out a high pitched giggle that bordered on hysterical.

“May I come in?”

Gwen nodded and Lancelot crossed the room to where she was sat on the floor and dropped down beside her.

After a minute or so of silence, Gwen took a deep breath, “What am I doing, Lancelot?” She shook her head again, and Lancelot stayed quiet, feeling that the question was rhetorical.

“I’m not a noble, I’m not anywhere near it - my father was a blacksmith. I can’t be a queen, I don’t know the first thing about ruling, or, or advising, or whatever it is that Queens do. I shouldn’t even be here, by rights. I -"

“That’s nonsense and we both know it.” Lancelot’s tone held no room for argument. “You have spent the last, what, year? Learning the ways of the court and the duties of a Queen, and you know exactly what to do. More than that, you understand how all of this works, which is more than I can say for some Kings I’ve encountered.”

“But -” Lancelot held up a hand, forestalling whatever Gwen had been about to say next. 

“No ‘buts’. We both also know that you are exactly where you’re meant to be. You know your worth, Gwen, and you’ve never been ashamed of who you are, or believed it makes you unfit to do something, to be someone. You’ve always been proud of who you are, and I don’t believe that has changed now. Not to mention that Arthur would probably execute anyone who even attempted to look down on you in any way and that we would be more than glad to carry out those orders. So,“ he met her eyes, “what’s the real problem?”

Gwen glared at Lancelot, though there was no real heat behind it, “Why can’t you be this perceptive when it comes to your own emotions?”

Lancelot just grinned and shrugged, “Come on, don’t change the subject.”

Gwen sighed, “This is a big change, really big, and it’s terrifying.”

“Which you’re more than capable of handling on your own, not to mention with everyone who cares about you.”

“I just - what if I change?” Gwen twisted her hands in her lap, “I know who I am now, and I like who I am. And I’m getting better at being me every day. What if this changes that? What if I start becoming someone I don’t like?”

Lancelot raised an eyebrow, but did not comment.

“You remember Ida?”

He had a vague recollection of the lady-in-waiting, who had, several months ago wed a lord of some estate or the other, according to Merlin. He nodded.

“She changed, Lancelot. I heard the girls talking about her one day, and she’s like a completely different person. She had a maid thrown out for dropping a bowl of fruit!”

Registering Gwen’s terrified expression, Lancelot took her hands in his.   
  
“Gwen, listen to me.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “I know that it’s terrifying, a change this big, this..momentous. But, changes like this show what a person is truly made of. Some people aren’t made half as strong and kind and wise and brilliant as you are, and you can’t measure what you might become against them. The only person you can measure yourself against is you.

Personally, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that you would end up like..Ida. Unless she needed a cover story for firing her maid because something worse happened.

The very fact that you’re worried about changing into someone worse, that tells me that you won’t. Because people who worry about that are actively good - not just good because it helps them - but good because they want to be better , to make this world a little better any way they can.

So when you walk out of the throne room today with the crown on your head, you can do so knowing that you are more than equal to whatever lies ahead. And if you feel overwhelmed, there are always people who will be more than willing to help.”

A moment passed, “Also, you’ve never been one to pass up a challenge,” Lancelot grinned at her, “and something tells me you’ve no intention of starting now.”

“You’re right,” she squeezed his hand gently and smiled back, “I have no intention of quitting now. Thank you, Lancelot.”

As they stood, Gwen shot Lancelot a questioning glance. "You seem to have an in depth understanding of this situation?”

Lancelot chuckled, “When I was knighted, I felt pretty much the same. I was terrified I would turn into the knights I saw lording it over everyone else.”

“Wait, which -”

“The first time.”

“You seemed so confident and sure of yourself.”

“Well...Merlin may have had a hand in that,” Lancelot shook his head, “By the end of the first week, I was considering asking Uther to relieve me of my knighthood. But, Merlin, well, you know how he is.”

Gwen smiled “Well, I, for one, am very glad you’re here.”

“Thank you, Gwen.”

Gwen simply squeezed his hand once more before letting go, “Speaking of here, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was looking for Merlin, Arthur wanted him to give you this,” he held up an intricately fashioned bracelet, “since he apparently can’t see you before the wedding?”

“It’s supposedly bad luck,” Gwen shrugged, “that’s what my mother used to say as well.” Her eyes rested on the golden band Lancelot held, “It’s beautiful.”

“May I?”

Gwen nodded and held out her hand and Lancelot carefully fastened it around her wrist before kissing the back of her hand.

“You look beautiful, Gwen,” he bowed halfway, “and I shall see Your Highness after the ceremony.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was really fun to write, and I'd love to hear what you thought of it! 
> 
> The title of this fic comes from [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LMVJ2xd1g8). I felt it fit the vibe  
> And, yes, I know the line is not the same as the prompt, but its the vibe that matters
> 
> A massive thank you to my dear, [RangeroftheSouth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RangeroftheSouth) for beta'ing this fic for me!  
> I'm on tumblr [@lancelitttle](https://lancelitttle.tumblr.com) (main) or [@twosidesofthesameidiot](https://twosidesofthesameidiot.tumblr.com) (BBC Merlin sideblog), so feel free to come say hi, or anything really


End file.
